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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. current — electric
  3. root — of a plant
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. root — of a word
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. season — in sport
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. current — happening now
  14. fine — all right
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. cell — a phone
  19. fine — high quality
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. season — of the year
  22. current — of water
  23. root — the cause
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com